SVT #2219 Build Thread/ rejuvination

This is my second contour svt. The last one was a barn save and needed lots of work and I jumped around posting different threads. So with this one Im going to be keeping all the progress to this thread To keep a story to the car thats easier to follow.

The car is a 99 Tgreen that has a 3lduratec.com swap done. Other than that and a weapon r short ram intake the car is bone stock. It has 142k miles on it with approx 22 on the swap. The car comes from maryland and hasnt had an inspection for 5 years. So in order to pass PA inspection It needs suspension and brake work. Luckily the car came with a parts car which I have stripped the brakes and suspension from and am Starting to rebuild them inorder to swap onto 2219 for less down time.

Brakes are going to be stock rebuilt calipers painted silver with G2 brake kit that I didnt use from my old car. New oe style rotors and pads all around. And ss brake lines.

Wheels are Focus SVT EAP wheels that I traded the E1's off the parts car for. I got 6 of them that need new tires. Getting 4 new tires of coarse.





Suspension Is my current project. Im going with H&R springs on oe style struts, new 2bolt front lower control arms, Energy suspension swaybar bushings all around, custom swaybar links all around, Rear control arm energy suspension bushings, Custom rear toe bars, and beefed up rear sway bar mounts.

Also In the works for now is 80a poly filled rear mount and energy suspension insert for the front mount.

I have a few more plans for it but nothing too crazy. Right now im just focused on getting it passed inspeciton.

Todays suspension work progress.
Got in swaybar link parts and more.





And spent a few hours with the wire wheel cleaning up the spare rear subframe. Also put a shot of primer on it to keep it from getting moisture. Still have to get square stock to fab up the swaybar mounting points and then I can primer and paint it for good.





That may be it for the next week or so. Have to spend some time getting the interior out of the parts can and then have bear camp sunday through thursday so wont have internet probably but wont be working on the car for sure.

So what all do they inspect up there and how often do you need it? They never do inspections here in Ga. like that unless you have a salvage title and want to make the car road worthy. They do have emissions test every year though.

They pretty much check that all suspension and steering components are in in good working order and that they show no signs of severe wear. Also check tire tread depth and that the brakes are functioning properly with plenty of pad material. They basically want to make e sure the vehicle is safe to be on the road.
Inspection and emmisions is required every year and cost round $45 to $70 for the testing.

Although it is a pain in the arse i do understand that it helps to keep safe good condition vehicles on the road. Although people with beat cars still find someone who will slap stickers on.

You COULD say that in IL we do the same as GA, where they inspect a salvage to make it road worthy but the state rapes you on not having to do this testing they do in PA by all other fees and taxes they hike on us every time they get a chance.

Love our system, no matter where you live (usually), you get raped by their fees.

Unless you live in a county like Wyoming in PA, then there's none of that emissions BS and inspection costs like $15-20 a year.

Or you could live in Ohio and not worry about it at all. lol But I do envy you guys not having to run front plates.

79mustang351w said:

Or you could live in Ohio and not worry about it at all. lol But I do envy you guys not having to run front plates.

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Yep. I've never had to have a car inspected OR emissions-tested in my life.

I bought a new front bumper for the Roush last year, and it wasn't drilled for a front plate. After getting 2 tickets for it, I bought one of those flip-up slide brackets that mounts up under the front bumper, and the plate slides up into place. Flips down under the car when I don't want it.

ANYWAYS, back on topic - interested to see how the sway bar links come together. And nice work on the subframe; I might end up pulling mine back out and doing that over the winter, since it's such a simple thing on this chassis. Undercoat the unibody, too, while it's out of the way.

Got home today and some more suspension compents had arrived. Still waiting on ordering all the poly bushings till I can take some more measurements and such.
Heres a pic of what arrived today with one of the heim joints I got yesterday.



The short fat bar making the T will be cutdown and there will be a poly bushing in that end as apposed to the heim on both ends like are on the market these days. Also need to get a lock nut for the heim yet.

And since I somehow forgot the pics of the car that all this is going on in the first post. Here is the car.

Not much progress on the car lately with bear camp and thanksgiving. Also tore the interior out of the parts car yesterday. But I did take advantage of a black friday sale and ordered 4 new tires for the Eap's and also a new control arm for the passenger side. Also ordered a new grille to cut up for mesh and new front pads. Then went to energysuspensionparts.com and ordered new sway bar bushings front and rear, 80a liquid urethane for the rear rr, poly control arm rear bushing kit, poly bushing for the rear toe arms im building and the bushings for the rear swaybar links.
All that I need to order for this car at this point is front rotors and It will be ready for Inspection. Need to get to busting on this stuff now that the parts car is completely stripped.

Well looks like the h&r springs are out. Going with used ground control Coilovers on koni struts thanks blu. Pretty excited to have Coilovers that I can adjust the height. Hopefully going to slam it after winter if I can free up the set screw for the adjusters.

No prob dude.

Got some good work in to finish up the rear subframe, and also got to poly fill my front and rear roll resistors today.









and the RR's

Got some more suspension prep work done today and last night. Got the rear swaybar cleaned up and painted last night. Then today after picking up a 14" Ridgid abrasive chop saw for $50 of craigslist so i can make crisp straight cuts, I got my adjustable toe bars finished up and painted. Also picked up the rest of the hardware needed for the swaybar links.
Heres a few pics of todays acomplishments. Once the paint dries ill post better pics of the toe bars and install the bushings. They ended up way beefier than nessacary but thats the tube i ordered so Im using it.

Awesome work man. Should be a fun car to drive when you're done.

solo92s10 said:

They ended up way beefier than nessacary but thats the tube i ordered so Im using it.

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She likes them beefier man!! lol Looking good man.

Thanks guys. Got them all assembled. Now just have to clean up the square control arms and semi box them in. Then clean up the rear trailing bars and cut out the old bushings and install the energy suspension bushings. Then when Its time to swap it all over all I have to do is one bushing in each knuckle. Maybe the koni/gc set up will be here by the weekend so i can get started.

Pics of the finished toe bars.

Looks great man.

Not a ton of progress this week. Started refinishing a large job box for a guy from work so thats been taking up some time. Got a little bit more suspension progress done including some assembly of the rear subframe. Pics will show progress.







Also started sandblasting caliper brackets and cleaning up calipers for g2 paint kit. And bought new front rotors. Now I have everything i need to start except the koni/gc's that were shipped today, so maybe start this weekend If I can finish this job box and caliper painted by the weekend.

Koni's and Ground control coilovers arrived thursday. Today I decided to pick up some 1/4" spacers to run with the Eap's. Also finished the large knackk job box that took up all my time this week and that will be out of my garage tomorrow. Hopefully box in the rear control arms tomorrow and paint them then have to clean up the front calipers and brackets then paint all front and rears. Then at some point this week all is going in, and I can get an alignment done along with the new tires on the eap's and inspected.

Also ordered some RP synchromax of amazon for the the trans.